Objects Database

Laupheimer Wooden Skis

Accession Number

691.2008.1

Object Name

Laupheimer Wooden Skis

Created

19/12/2008

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

19/12/2008

Brief Description

Pair of German Laupheimer wooden skis bought in Berlin in 1924 and used chiefly in Germany and Norway. Probably not used much after 1928 - although again briefly and intermittently in Britain between 1948 - 62. Fitted with metal toe binding slotted through hole in the ski. Leather heel strap and metal closure. The toe ski clamp is probably only one of half a dozen left in the world today.

Materials

wood, metal, leather

Dimensions

190(l) cms At widest part ?(w) cms

Number Of Objects

1 pair

Inscription Description

Metal plate with "GUSTAV STEIDEL SPORTHAUS BERLIN SW 19( )EIPZIGERSTR 67/70"

Colour

light brown

Maker

Steidel

Object Production Place

Bayern

Provenance

Laminated skis have been around since the early 1900's, but it wasn't until the 1930's that they were produced in any great numbers by a Norwegian Company called Splitkein. It was a couple more decades before they filtered through to the UK and European markets which were still using skis made from a single piece of wood which is what we have here. Having bent the tips - usually by steaming - it was essential to keep the 'bend' and stop it flattening out and this simple clamp that we see here on this pair of skis was designed to solve the problem. Laminations with the various types of glue that went with them, then ultimately plastic, rendered wooden skis and their little idiosyncracies things of the past, so our little toe clamp is indeed a very rare item - unfortunately it's taking a lot of woodworm fluid to keep it that way!
Although the donator of these skis - Susanne Todd - suggests that they are German, it could be that Gustav Steidel Sporthaus ( Sportshop) were just the distributor as the skis look very Norwegian. They also have a version of the Huitfeldt binding combined with a Høyer - Ellefsen tensioning heel clip which makes this set of skis a very rare combination indeed.
The only similar ones we know of are in the Holmenkol Ski Musuem in Oslo. Thanks to Susanne for donating these skis to the Scottish Ski Club and,ultimately, to us.
A wee bit of paint stripper on to toe of these skis reveals that they were made by Anton Laupheimer, Weissen-Horn, Bayern, though we haven't found out much about Anton as yet. Interestingly, there's a similar pair of skis to these for sale on the internet(2012) for $5000.

Acquisition Method

Donated by Susanne Todd. Part of collection passed on from Scottish Ski Club

Acquisition Date

01/12/2008

Reference

SSC ref 5

Condition Check Date

28/04/2009

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

28/04/2009

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